Dating! Since When!
by RaeOUT
Summary: (Rating K to T) Little peeks into Sarah's life after her "tour" of the Underground. Jareth shows interest in learning of current human traditions and trends, Sarah agrees to teach him if she can learn the same about the Underground in turn. Rumors fly around of the Goblin King courting the Champion of the Labyrinth but Sarah doesn't recall agreeing to date!
1. Chapter 1

A Fair Trade

Sarah kept her attention on her glass. The liquid it contained was a clear, crystalline green yet had a thick consistency like jell-o that was just starting to setup. Sarah eyed her companion uncertainly, rolling her glass between her hands.

"I've had two glasses myself, Sarah. It won't harm you anymore than your bubble tea harmed me. It's a summer treat; a cool and refreshing drink."

"I thought you liked the bubble tea."

"Indeed, Sarah. It was deliciously intriguing-"

"Then why-"

"You, my dear, would not explain before I tried your human foods, nor shall I."

Sarah sighed and took a small sip, her companion doing the same. The fluid did indeed have the constancy of thickening jell-o but Sarah was surprised at the taste. The drink had an herbal flavor but with a tang to it like a mix of lime and sugared grapefruit added to an iced mint tea. Sarah finished her glass before handing it over for more.

"So what is it?"

He waited until she'd raised the glass for another sip before he answered her, "we call it Purbetch. Which dear Sarah, is short for 'Purified Bog of Eternal Stench.'"

Jareth calmly raised his glass to his lips, drinking deeply to keep from laughing as Sarah coughed and sputtered.


	2. Chapter 2

The Peeps Know

Sarah leaned against the railing of the balcony in the mall, watching all the people pass below her. She tried to keep from grinning like an idiot as she made up histories about random people that were unfortunate enough to catch her eye. She sipped from the bubble tea in her hand as she played with the notion that the goth kid with gauged ears and dark blue hair, below and to the right of her, leaning against the wall and glaring at his phone, was secretly a "white knight." He was glaring at his phone because he'd just received orders from his king that went against his code of honor. He was to kill the princess of another kingdom that he'd been ordered to protect as she went around his native land as an ambassador.

The "princess" in question was a girl Sarah had spotted down to her left, with thick glasses and riot of curly hair that was currently at one of the many cosmetic booths that were set up in the mall. The consultant of the booth was talking with her about their product, from what Sarah could tell the booth sold a makeup line that would make the girl's skin fairer and banish her freckles. The consultant was there to kill the "princess," which is why she was trying so hard to sell the "poisoned" makeup to her unsuspecting victim.

Sarah smiled as the "knight" abandoned the "princess" and headed off towards the other end of the mall, leaving the "princess" to battle against the makeup consultant alone. Sarah started scanning the crowd below her for new victims. She loved to people watch at the mall, it was more enjoyable than shopping in her opinion. Taking another sip of her melon bubble tea, Sarah barely acknowledged the male that was suddenly standing beside her.

"Please tell me I'm the only one that can see you."

"And if you are not-"

"I do not want to be caught out in public with a Ren Faire fanatic when there ain't another Faire for two months."

"I am _not _a Ren Faire fanatic."

"Don't you growl at me! And people will beg to differ on that one if they can see you!"

"...You have become quite skilled at talking to the air with no one noticing-"

"Don't change the subject, Jareth."

"I said 'talking to the air,' dear Sarah... Only those that have been to the Underground can see me."

Sarah mulled this over as she took another sip of her drink. She noted that Jareth did the same, though from a goblet, which look rather odd with the thick plastic straw sticking out over the lip of it, "what are you drinking?"

"A Purbetch bubble tea. Would you like some, Sarah?"

"Nooooo. No, thank you, Sir!" Sarah fought to keep her face passive as her face fought to scrunch up in utter disgust and horror. No, no more fart bog drink for her.

"What human skill am I gaining today?"

"All humans people watch in some form or another, however, instead of my original reason for this lesson, you are going to catalog the current fashions of people below us and poof yourself some modern clothing and a 21st century haircut."

"I do not 'poof' my clothing-"

"So says the one that change his wardrobe oh so many times in my first _thirteen_ hours in the Underground... Poofing, to my mind, is the only way someone could change there clothes that quickly."

"I am a _King,_ you will show respect-"

"_Don't_ growl at me! We are equals, I established _that_ shortly after we we met. Which means as your equal I can talk with you as I please. However, as your friend it is my duty to help you see that your taste in clothing, though it may be impeccable in the tastes of the Underground, it is woefully centuries behind when it comes to _my_ realm."

"Did you just compliment me, Sarah?"

"...Don't get used to it. There was an insult in there as well. Which as your friend, I... On the subject of... Well... People may think your gay what with all the glitter and the poofing as often as you do-"

"Gay?... Happy and joyous?"

"Nooooo... That may have been the original meaning of the word but now... Um," Sarah nervously ran her fingers through her hair, while she secretly wished that the blush she could feel creeping up her face wasn't there, "it means that you're into men- or males instead of females."

Sarah did not look at him but she could literally feel the inferno of rage building up beside her. A light wind began to whip through their area of the mall causing havoc. A low guttural reply came from the Goblin beside her, his eyes seemingly trying to burn holes in the side of her head as she still hadn't turned to look at him.

"I am _not_ gay, Sarah."

Sarah tried her best not to quake, drinking the last of her bubble tea to calm herself, all the while privately praying that he couldn't hear the little voice in her head that had wondered about the topic at hand for some time. The obscene amounts of glitter in both hair and country and the clothing poofing on a whim had led her to a bit of uncertainty on the matter and she was rather sure that these were all things and powers that any drag queen would kill to have. If what Hollywood had taught her was anything to go by. While she mused over all of this, Jareth had turned his attention to the unsuspecting people below. One really awkward silence later, Sarah turned her attention to the male beside her as his body slid out of focus. Sarah blinked and blinked again as she found a blond human male beside her leaning against the railing, his face close to hers.

"Does this meet with approval?" the young man's voice was sinister and low, a shiver raced up Sarah's spine and into her brain where it cause all her internal instincts to scream out at her to run. Sarah against all odds, managed to smile calmly, giving one sweeping glance at the male that vaguely resembled Jareth. All the Goblin sharp angles of his face had turned to the softer ones of humans, only the mismatched eyes and ears that came to a very slight tip clued her in that it was Jareth before her. He wore tight, acid washed jeans, black boots with red detailing and a gray, close fit tee that had a raven and skull design on the front. The necklace he always wore was a dead give away as well. His hair was close cut all along the sides but fairly long at the top, spiked and feathered to perfect disarray, and not a speck of glitter in sight. She was rather surprised that his new choice in clothes showed how truly muscular he was, not bulking muscle but subtly lean and mean. The end of her quick sweep brought her back to his eyes that were no longer glaring at her but watching her with a slight bit of amazement and a little of some emotion she couldn't identify.

"You're smiling-"

"Yes, yes, were I anyone else, I'm sure I'd be on the floor begging for my life for having anger you so. Don't get your ego in a knot, it might deflate dramatically. I'm just glad that I can be seen with you in public now... What's with you and tight pants?" Sarah quickly turned and walked on through the mall, horrified that her stupid brain had grasped at such a question to get the conversation off herself. Thankfully, the redness of her face had faded considerably by the time he fell in step beside her. Jareth had apparently deemed not to reply to her question. As they walked towards the food court, Sarah notice that every so often girls would glance their way then do a double take. She ignored them and threw away her empty cup making a beeline for Chick-fil-A, while simultaneously ignoring a little, angry voice inside her that wished she was still the only one that could see Jareth.

"Seeing as we can do the original lesson after all, I'll get lunch while you pick a table. The food isn't because we're hungry so eat slowly. It's more so we don't look like fools sitting in the food court as we talk and stare at random people. No food is somehow an unspoken no-no. When you have food in hand its okay to watch people, it adds to the facade of being bored. Everyone knows you're people watching but no one's gonna stop you cause the food renders you harmless. No food means you're up to no good. First skill to learn about the tradition of people watching, find us a good table that has us both out of the way as to seem unobserving yet near enough to the public walkways so that we can get a good view of people. I'll go get the food and come and find you, then we'll see how good at storytelling you are."

Jareth gave her a gorgeous smirk, that cause a ridiculous amount of giddy butterflies to swirl up in her stomach before he turned on his heel and strode away. Sarah wasn't one hundred percent sure but she thought she heard a girl giggle behind her about a real life Draco Malfoy. Sarah bought two chicken burger meals with two Cokes and two cookies and cream milkshakes before turning to look for Jareth. He had chosen a prime table for their so called lesson. Sarah thought over what to teach him next as she made her way through the sea of tables to where he was sitting, desperately trying to ignore her conscience that said she was going to be in a horrid state when she fell for the young man before her. In Goblin form it was easy to tell herself that he was Other and therefore off limits, but the human glamour he wore made it way too easy to forget his Otherness. She was a little irked that both she and her conscience agreed that there was no doubt that she was going to fall for the human him. It was just a matter of when and what she was going to to about it.


	3. Chapter 3

A Fan of Fantasy No More

"You lecture me on growling yet I at least, growl at living things."

"Sorry to burst your bubble but growling at living things is impolite, growling at inanimate objects is not only acceptable but expected. Also, growling tends to make the tech work faster."

"Not if there is no wifi to begin with-"

"I'm not trying to use your nonexistent wifi, Jareth! I'm, well, I'm overly irritated with a book."

She sighed as she noticed Jareth's attention was back on the scrolls all over his desk. An elven retainer that stood just behind Jareth glowered at her for her behavior towards his king. She blushed as she sat up in the cushy chair she'd plopped down on some hours ago. A little embarrassed that as time had worn on she'd unknowingly moved from a ladylike position with both her feet on the floor to one leg dangling over an armrest and her other foot braced against it so that her knee was bent above her head. Which had been resting on the opposite armrest with her hair spilling over it to pool on the floor.

Then again the elf could be glaring at her because she was wearing pants. The elves that served Jareth were always uptight and snippy around her for one reason or another. At least a vast majority of the goblins liked her, though so far Jareth and a handful of other high goblins seemed to be the only ones of that ilk that bothered to put up with her. Sarah turned her attention back to her e-reader, wondering how much longer she'd have to wait. Upon her arrival to his study earlier that day for her lesson, Jareth had informed her that it would need to be delayed until later that afternoon.

"A book, Sarah? You're not holding- Oh, your e-reader... And how has this book offended you?" It took her a moment or two to figure out what he was talking about. It had been some thirty minutes later when he'd taken up the conversation again. Sarah's eyebrows rose as the connection came. It surprised her that he'd kept track of where the conversation had ended given the distraction of the paperwork before him.

"Because you, your people, and entire realm embody all that is wrong with my realm's fandom."

"...Forgive me, but I occasionally have no idea what you're talking about. What is it that we've done exactly?"

"After having been to the Underground, toured around and met countless Fae, reading the stories that my people have written, reading what my world thinks of yours is no long enjoyable like it once was."

"Then why bother?"

"We'll some of them are really comical in their attempts... I was told that this one was really good but the goblins are blue, and it's not even something that could naturally be explained! There is no cause for them to be 'blue as a summer afternoon.' Why? I mean really, _why_? I think the author was trying to make his goblins stand apart from the rest of the typical goblin canon.

"I'm hoping the barmaid that decided to accompany the hero is actually in league with the villain. Barmaids don't typically know how to use swords in these kinds of stories though, so she's probably the princess. Which could also mean that the villain really captured the barmaid that was decoying as the princess. So the hero's probably off to save the princess for nothing because his quote unquote prize and future wife is beside him the entire journey. The villain should just send his dark knights to off 'em all while the hero is confused and bombarded with all the goblins swarming his camp..."

It was at this point that Sarah realized everyone in the room what looking at her. One of the elven retainers had a twitch going in the corner of his right eye like it was attached to a motor. All of the elves were scowling at her, the few high goblin retainers that were there were openly snickering, Jareth however, was trying very hard to control his laughter. He was succeeding but Sarah guessed that by the mirth in his eyes and the way he was gripping his desk, had his retainers not been there he'd probably be gasping for air from laughing his head off. On second thought he probably wouldn't laugh like that in front of her either. It made for a very interesting picture in Sarah's head though.

"Some of my friends liked it and suggested it..."

"I am truly so sorry that we've ruined your fantastical and fictitious views of our world, dear Sarah."

"It's okay, learning the history of the Underground more than makes up for it."

"You like our history that much?"

"Yes."

"...Then I believe it's time I take a break from the tedious and we begin our lesson. No, Arwel, everything that needed immediate attention was seen to twenty minutes ago," Jareth waved off the complaints of the elf with the eye twitch as he stood and led Sarah out the side door of his study, "care to accompany me to the Gallery, Sarah. If you're interested in learning histories, I might as well start with my own people."

"Is anyone blue?"

"No, however, a jilted lover did turn a distant uncle a very... interesting shade of pink as he rode into battle. A _very_ shocking shade actually. The opposing force was quite dumbfounded and in battle where every second counts, their stupor was enough to win my old uncle the war. Much to the ire of the lady." Jareth led the way through the castle, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips as Sarah laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

Riding a Who-What? 

Jareth was beckoning Sarah closer to the creature before her. It had eight legs and glowing eyes though it could have just been the light. Yeah, right.

"She won't bite, Sarah."

"Oh, yes, she will."

"She is one of my steeds, she will not harm those I do not bid her to."

"Looks like she's some monstrosity straight out of a Norse mythology book."

"Odin _wishes_ he had my steeds-"

"She is that horse!"

"No, this is Borghildr, one of her daughters but Sleipnir is indeed mine. Odin, vain fool that he was, would pay me so that he could be seen riding her just to make the mortals worship him all the more. He's begged for her but I'd never sell her. A pure goblin steed such as Sleipnir and her foals would never serve anyone but a high goblin."

"Which means whateverhernameis would more than happily buck me off and stomp my brains in."

"Feeling a little morose today, Sarah dear."

"No, I just don't have a death wish today. My death wish is for tomorrow... Or maybe the day after. Haven't decided when I want to use it really-"

"Sarah, come."

"Nope."

"If you would like, I'll ride with you-"

"That was your plan all along, wasn't it! Show me a literal nightmare! So I'd cower and beg not to ride alone!"

"Sarah, don't encourage me-"

"Don't leer at me! I'm not a prize to be won nor a bit of meat to be eaten so don't look at me like that!"

"You know... I'm beginning to like seeing you flustered or afraid, you're more prone to speak what is on your mind before you have a chance to stop yourself."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, yes you do... I seem to recall some weeks ago a remark about my pants- Sarah, wait! _Sarah_!"

Sarah had slowly been feeling a heady mix of horror and lividness growing within her even before their conversation took that turn. She needed to get away before she did something drastic or worse, opened her mouth. She'd turned on her heel and strode away as fast as she could without looking like she was running way. She tended to lose it when she felt like this, prime examples being when she'd thrown that chair through the ballroom wall and again when she'd brought the junk lady's distraction down around her ears. She was well out of the stable yard and halfway across the courtyard when someone grabbed her from behind. A scream rent the air as the ground disappeared from beneath her feet. Sarah grappled at whatever held her suspended.

"Calm down or I may drop you."

"Jareth!" She hadn't even heard the eight-legged beast and its ride come up behind her!

"Would be a pity to lose something so precious."

"What!"

"I said it would be a pity to lose a precious steed because she overbalanced due to your flailing about."

Jareth was grinning ear to ear as he pulled her up in front of him, the fact that Sarah couldn't see it made him grin all the more. Borghildr was at full gallop now and far across the countryside, faster than any Above horse could even dream to go. Borghildr loved the speed of it as much as her master. Jareth was laughing but Sarah didn't notice even with her face pressed into his chest. She was riding sidesaddle with both her legs thrown over Jareth's left, her arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

"Open your eyes, Sarah," Jareth laughed as she shook her head against his chest, "_OPEN YOUR EYES!_"

Sarah could not refuse his tone. It compelled her to open her eyes, open them to the most wondrous sight she'd ever seen. Indescribable beauty. Jareth shook her slightly and she gasped in lungfuls of air. He'd slowed Borghildr a little to make it easier for Sarah to breath when he noticed that she'd stopped.

"Breath, Sarah. This Erlkönig currently has no wish to collect another mortal for his realm."

Sarah looked up at him at the word "Erlkönig" and indeed he was. His pale, golden silver hair whipped around him in more than just the wind, mismatched eyes aglow as they surveyed all he owned, and a grin so feral with teeth quite sharp. She stopped breathing again for a moment. Sarah turned her attention out to the landscape. He'd said that today's lesson was to be on the botany of the different regions of his lands, yet Sarah felt she'd learned a very unplanned lesson on his part. One that would make it oh so easy for her to remember what he was when she saw his handsome human glamour again.


	5. Chapter 5

Twitchy and Twitchier

"Wha'n the friggit are you doin' in my room!"

"What are your intentions?"

"Wha-"

"Foolish mortal, you will stay way from the King or face the-"

"That vein at the corner of your eye looks like it's gonna burst."

"Youuuuu! You!" Sarah watched as the elf snarled and sputtered in his rage. He wasn't even looking at her anymore just glaring at everything in her room like he was blowing it all to smithereens with his brain. He was still stuck on "you."

"It's okay, deep breaths and you'll get pasted the stutter."

"YOU! You will stay away from the King! You are weak. You are undeserving. You are shallow-"

Sarah stared down at her hand like it didn't belong to her. Some of the skin had broken where parts of her fist had met his teeth. Distantly, she made a mental note to remember that elven noses seemed to be made of glass or at least they broke as if they were. She doubted if there would even be much bruising to her hand later. Sarah turned to the large mirror on her studio wall and called for Hoggle.

By the time Hoggle had answered, Sarah had grabbed the unconscious elf under the armpits and had dragged him to her mirror. Sarah vaguely saw the surprise on Hoggle's face as she tossed the elf through said mirror, sighing a little when she notice only half the elf would make it though. She flinched as the back of his head gave a loud "thunk" against Hoggle's floor. Hoggle having not bothered to try and catch him. Jareth was going to be pissed as pissed if she'd given the elf retainer any brain damage. Hoggle startled her when he started laughing.

"He's gonna be sacked! E'll lose his land 'n his title ta' boot!" Hoggle was still chuckling as he helped Sarah get the rest of the elf to Hoggle's side of the mirror. Hoggle gave her an uncharacteristically, cheery wave as he said good bye and promised to get the elf to a healer. Sarah scratched at the back of her head rather befuddled, then shrugged it off and settled down to a night of homework with extra peach cobbler for dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

Pick Your Battles

Sarah and a drop dead gorgeous, human blond had spent the whole of their Saturday at the park near her studio apartment. The only thing that had kept her from blushing throughout the day was the image of his true face, the Erlkönig face, that her brain kept overlaying on his human one. She'd explained the rules of several sports and they'd settles to played ultimate Frisbee, soccer and kickball, as Sarah was horrid at baseball and basketball. Though they had watch others play those ones from a distance so he could see what she'd described to him. They played by themselves or with others when anyone else in the park showed an interest in joining them. Surprisingly, quite a few people joined them for several rounds.

Or at least it was surprising until Sarah noticed that many of the girls kept trying to be on Jareth's team or find ways to touch him as they played. As far she could tell he never seemed to notice. For the fun of it, Sarah had decided early on that she'd be on the opposite team in every round or game they played where there was a choice to be. Which also enabled her to see how roughly the guys would play against him, some even going so far as to block Jareth from getting too close to Sarah but then they were doing that with all the girls on either team. They just blocked Sarah off more than the others because Jareth was always trying to get near her.

Each game was like an intricate dance or a strategic battle. Jareth was the leader, the king of the other side even when he wasn't team leader, the same went for her. For each goal or point her side won, he'd rally his team and push for his own point or goal just a bit harder. She wasn't sure who had won at the end of the day but everyone parted ways on friendly terms. Sarah and Jareth picked up Chinese from a place close to the park so that they could eat by the park's little lake. They ate slowly, talking of everything and nothing until the subject she was dreading raised its ugly head. Jareth had asked to move his lesson up three entire days because she'd knocked out his retainer last night. So she'd decided to get it over with and had agreed to meet up with him at the park.

"I am rather concern that you knocked Arwel out so thoroughly, Sarah."

"First of all, he was in my studio, my _bedroom_, uninvited and then he started spewing rather spiteful things."

"I'm more curious as to why you just shrugged it off after. You 'decked him,' as you put it and then went on with things as if nothing happened."

"...Why didn't you step in if you were watching!"

"No, I saw it after. Crystal gazing through time is a wonderful thing. "

"Only because you can watch every episode made and yet to be of Sherlock and Doctor Who," Jareth gave her a deliciously wicked grin, "so why are you interrogating me if you saw it all?"

"Very few of my subjects know that I have the power to see past, present and future. Even less know that I can bend and shape to what I desire it to be when I _wish_... Very few have that power and some have even been assassinated for it-"

"So you're here to put up a show of getting both sides of the story to make your lackeys happy?"

"I couldn't care less about my 'lackeys' happiness, dear Sarah. I'm here to find out why you did it. I watched you hit him and then go on with your night attacking your homework and eating three plates of peach cobbler with an entire carton of vanilla ice cream. If I may, I would like to know what you where thinking."

"It was a horrific beast of a day, okay! My patience was gone before I even got home and then I found him there... Why was he angry with me anyway?"

"Why were you out of patience?"

"I asked a question first."

Jareth waved off her question as if it didn't matter, yet answered all the same, "he wants me to marry his daughter though the poor thing is scared witless of me even when I try to be kind. Why was your patience gone?"

"...I may have briefly seen someone else's face when I hit him."

"That answers nothing and only raises more questions, Sarah."

"I'd just come home from a date."

"Indeed, and how bad was this... date that you would take your anger out on one of my retainers?"

Sarah stared at her fingers, weaving them together then splaying them apart. She didn't want to answer him but she knew that he would simply wait until she cracked under his gaze. His needling made her wonder how much he already knew and if he did know why did he want her to voice it aloud. With no place to hide nor even a way to out run him, her only option was to answer. She felt even worse as she rambled a little in her embarrassment and pain for telling him. "The elf called me shallow and undesirable. The guy I was dating, Allen, we're in a bio class together... I'd been out with Allen not even twenty minutes before I found your retainer in my room... Allen had made me feel as if I was those things..."

Sarah turned her attention out to the lake. Sheer force of will kept the tears deep inside her as she tried not to think about how it hurt more to tell Jareth this than anything Allen had said to her the night before. She had explained to Allen when he'd asked before they had started dating, that she wasn't dating the blond that people had seen her with on occasion. That she and Jareth had been friends since high school, which was not technically true but close enough and all that Allen had needed to know.

Last night had been their twentieth date. They'd gone to dinner and then to a movie. It had been in the theater parking lot that Allen had taken her by surprise and accused her of not putting herself out enough. She'd thought she had been "close" with him and he'd never said anything before last night about wanting more than the kisses they'd shared. She'd stared at him dumbfounded as she's tried to defend herself but he just bashed her with other hurtful things. A glimmer of crystal in sunlight at the corner of her eye made her turn in Jareth's direction some minutes later.

"No! Please don't-"

"I've already watched it. Sarah, I am your friend correct?"

"...Yes."

"Then trust me when I say that that fool boy is wrong."

"...Jareth, how often have you watch me through those?"

"You've a right to your own life, Sarah. Would you like to know why Hoggle was so happy about what you did to that imbecile, Arwel?"

"Sure."Sarah tried not to show that his answer had irked her. She did indeed have a right to her own life but she'd like some privacy too. She mentally cataloged that bit of the conversation to argue about it about another day.

"Hoggle's family had rented land from Arwel's for many, many generations for dwarves have shorter lives than elves. It was prime vineyard land given to Hoggle's family for saving Arwel's grandfather twice. Every quarter, Hoggle's family would give a tenth of the wine and beer that they'd made to the Arwel's grandfather and then his father. Hoggle's family is famous for their wine and beer. Best in the kingdom. When Arwel inherited he wasn't as kind, he wanted more than just the wine and the beer. Now, everything he did was always within the law and his rights, so don't start telling me that it's unfair! Because it is, or was but had to be...I may have let it stand so that I might gain the brewer to my own household-

"I did not give you permission to punch me in the arm, don't do it again!" Jareth glared at her but it was more playful than angry before continuing on, "Hoggle had inherited at the around the same time as Arwel. Hoggle only had the land and the brewery for three years when Arwel took it out from under him. Arwel's grandfather had chosen to count the wine as the silver owed each year for the rent of the land. One bottle of that wine sells at thrice the amount of the silver needed in tax but Arwel chose not to see the wine as such and see Hoggle as cheating on his taxes.

"With so many years without paying the silver the debt was too high to pay and Hoggle was evicted and thrown off Arwel's land and lost the hand of his betrothed as no father-in-law wants their daughter to be penniless. Hoggle came to me for justice though he knew that I could do nothing to get his land back. Arwel has sadly ruined the vineyards though I'm told he had a good hoard of the wine stashed away when they took an account of the household before they tossed him out. Hoggle will continue tending my gardens and vineyards since his own no longer exist... He carries that bag of jewels, thimbles and spoons around because its all he has left of his household and family. I should fetch a bottle of that beer to finish dinner-"

"Jareth, you're forgetting my first encounter with goblin beer _and_ ale _and_ mead and it was _all_ in _one_ night too!"

"Sarah, I meant for myself not you. No one can nor will they ever forget your first and last night with goblin alcohol. Goblin bards already sing of it. It is only the threat of execution that keeps the goblins from trying to give you more! And there is still fountains of soap froth bubbling out of geysers in the Bog of Stench! You may have hated purbetch but you really didn't need to ruin it for everyone else. "

"Why don't you just magic it out then!"

"I've tried! Whatever you've done to it can't be undone! If you wouldn't hate me for it, I'd kill that fox for taking you to that wretched bar in the first place."

"Well, thank you for sparing him," she sounded anything but thankful, "...Why exactly did Arwel get evicted?"

"You are the Champion of the Labyrinth, dear Sarah. You are under the protection of the Labyrinth and it's court and we are under yours. He broke several laws entering your home uninvited and confronting you as he did. I had to evict him before the Labyrinth swallowed his lands, household and any people unfortunate enough to be in the way at the time. I believe the Labyrinth will spit him out eventually-"

"It ate him!"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. We should get you home, Sarah. It's getting late."

"...And a little cool too. So what is my next lesson? Oh and when?"

"Thursday, it's a surprise."

Sarah sighed as she and Jareth got up and collected their things. They walked quietly through the park towards her apartment building. Jareth saw her to the steps, but she turned back to him at the door.

"Thank you for the distraction, Jareth." He smile at her before she headed in. Just as the door was closing behind her, she heard a whisper of "always," then wondered if it had just been the wind and her mind dreaming that he would say such a thing.


	7. Chapter 7

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

Soundless cries rasped through him as he ran. He'd run out of breath long ago but his body wouldn't stop running no matter how he tried to stop himself, the primeval fear within him was too strong. To stop was to die. He didn't understand what was going on. He'd been minding his own business, making out with a girl named Jen, or was it Annbell, at the lake then she just wasn't there anymore and he'd fallen face forward to kiss the slimy leaf and refuse pile he'd found himself on instead. The pile hadn't seemed to like that though and had exploded. Thousands of creatures had appeared in the next moment and they'd been chasing him ever since.

Ugly, heinous things, no two alike but all were dressed in various forms of wicked armor. They ran along the ground, the walls and the ceiling behind him. All screaming, raving, longing for his blood. Gnashing teeth, tusks and fangs, smacking lips, drooling for a taste of him. He could hear it all as he ran. He couldn't figure it out, he'd been by the lake but was now running through tunnel after tunnel. The monsters were always a few hundred meters or less behind him no matter how much he tried to get distance between himself and them. The bubbles confused him too, at least he thought they were bubbles.

There were a hand full of bubbles everywhere around him, ahead of him and some floating about the creatures too. He didn't give them too much thought. They would randomly come back to his attention as he ran. When this happened the hoard closed in tighter behind him and fear chased the thought of bubbles away. He was two girls away from his goal! He couldn't lose that bet! His friends would never let him live it down. These thoughts were currently the only things that kept him going, but their power was weak making his will weak. He didn't know it yet but all was lost.

Jareth watched Allen as he ran hopelessly through the underbelly of the goblin realm. He was quite pleased that the sentient being, know to all as the Labyrinth, was avenging its Champion without him having to lift a finger. The other races would never understand the Labyrinth, not even the goblins that resided there knew its full power. They believed Jareth controlled it, but in truth, Jareth let the Labyrinth do as it pleased. It knew what the runners deserved better than he did. The Labyrinth taught Jareth something new every day whether he wanted the lesson or not. Today's lesson was that it did _not_ like to see its Champion hurt.


	8. Chapter 8

Who you Fooling?

To say Jareth was confused was putting it mildly. He just couldn't understand what was happening around him. They hadn't noticed him yet, though he'd now been standing in the doorway a full five minutes or more. There before him in his study was a laughing Sarah enjoying the company of Arwel's daughter, Gwen-something-or-other and another retainer's daughter, who's name Jareth could not recall for the life of him at the moment. He could sense no animosity or any other form of malcontent coming from the Fae ladies. Given how their fathers reacted to Sarah and after the incident with Arwel, he'd fully expected that he would have to come and save her from the wenches. Yet Sarah had made friends! The three young ladies had stood and moved towards the doorway to leave, when they noticed Jareth for the first time. The Fae stopped where they were and curtsied to him. While their heads were bowed, he shot Sarah a questioning look. Her only reply was a smirk that left Jareth wondering if his smirking was just as irritating. Jareth stepped aside to let the ladies leave the room before stepping into the room himself blocking Sarah's exit by closing the door behind him.

"Fraternizing with the enemy, Sarah?"

"What Above and Under are you talking about?"

"Sarah, those ladies will eat you up and spit you out if it means a chance at me-"

"Jareth, forgive me but I really feel that I need to bring that ego down a bit, no a lot. You see, you scare the friggen-heck out of those ladies and many others. What with the over abundance of self-centeredness and sharp teeth. Gwenhwyfar came to apologize for what her father did, not to challenge me or anything like that. And Mahthildis came to see if you and I were really courting so that she can use that information to sway her father towards a different potential bridegroom. To put it frankly, they want nothing to do with you and are quite happy that I am the one standing between them and you... And since when have we been dating! I couldn't get them to believe otherwise. They kept saying that my secret was safe with them. I've just been told a majority of the court thinks we're courting but you're keeping it quiet so the Seelie High King won't come and sweep me off my feet and away from you... Breath Jareth, you're turning a little blue."

"...We're not dating."

"Well yeah, that usually requires you asking the intended girl so that she knows she's being courted-"

"We are not courting!"

"Calm down Jareth, I was only teasing... What's my lesson for today?"

"...The different forms of the Word; spoken, written, and sung."

"Cool! More variations of magic-"

Sarah prattled on as Jareth led her out and down the hall towards the main library. His hackles were up with the mention of the Seelie High King. The last thing he needed was that air-head, self-proclaimed gods' gift to all things female, prat catching wind of such rumors. He'd do anything to get at Jareth, be it to try and humiliated him or to see him dethroned. As long as Jareth was on the recieving end, he didn't care what was done nor how it happened. The halfwit still blamed Jareth for his dip in the pond and other various accidents of their youth. Jareth had only caused about a third of them. The fool had done the rest on his own. It was more the idiot being the Seelie High King that was a problem than the male himself. When the imbecile got it in his head that he wanted something his retainers made sure it was done. If only to keep him blowing up his own palace during a tantrum.


	9. Chapter 9

Oh my...

It was Satuday and after having watched a marathon of the extended Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, they'd discovered the early hour and Sir Didymus and Hoggle had taken Sarah Underground. Then up to the roof of the castle to watch the sun rise over the Labyrinth. Sarah had watched in awe as the Labyrinth seemed to wake with the sun; entire walls and corridors stretching out in several directions while the grounds were shifting upwards reaching for dawn's early light. Sarah smiled as she imagined the Labyrinth as a monstrous cat, stretching with its back arched and its forelegs extended out, reaching for the sunlight.

As the sun slowly rose, a commotion down in the training yard beside the barracks had turned their down to the grounds. Her friends had barely glanced at what was going on before turning their attention back to the sunrise. and the Labyrinth. Sarah, however, stared wide-eyed down at Jareth in a trance that was an odd mix of horror and wonder. Jareth was there surrounded by several beings that seemed to be made of the shadows themselves. Jareth looked like a suicidal maniac as he fought shirtless, the only armor he wore was the highly ornate yet functional, greaves and sabaton on the outside of his dragon hide pants and boots, along with his ever present, dragon leather gloves.

His sabaton came to short but lethal points at the toes and heels that he occasionally used to stab his opponents with as he kicked at them. Without his shirt, he was even better than she'd pictured him when she's seen him in that tight, grey tshirt in the mall the first time he'd taken on a human glamour in front of her. Lean, mean, working muscle like some of the men in the Cirque du Soleil videos that she liked to watch, though Jareth's form seemed to hold sharper angles and was more defined as was typical for Fae, Goblins and everything else in the Underground. There were points where Sarah's eyes couldn't track him, her mind only comprehending, or more truthfully, making up what had happened after the fact, based on how his opponents were laid out behind him after they fell.

The first time she'd seen his "Erlkönig" face, she stopped breathing a moment at its ethereal, yet utterly terrifying beauty. But the Goblin King's face in a state of bliss as he surveyed his lands was nothing compared to the joy and determination that was on it now as he cut the shadow men down. Given that her friends had just turned the other way as if nothing was out of the ordinary, she guessed that Jareth did this regularly. There were other palace guards there but they were a fighting only a few of the shadow creatures at a time while Jareth was taking variations of groups of ten to twenty at different intervals. At first Sarah thought that he was killing them but then realized that the shadows would fall only to rise again some minutes later. Which was the cause of the variations in numbers as he fought.

Sarah wasn't sure how long she had watch but she could not take her eyes off of him. She smiled as Jareth and his men all finished up, talking and critiquing each other as they walked of in the direction that she knew lead to the outside entrance to the kitchens. From what she could see Jareth was not only giving criticism but also receiving it good naturedly in turn. His men did not clap him on the back as they did each other but by the way they were all laughing and talking with one another she could tell that they all greatly respected one another's opinion. Just before they turned out of Sarah's line of sight, Jareth paused and looked around, his senses finally picking up that he'd had an audience other than his guards.

Sarah turned her attention back to the Labyrinth just like Hoggle and Sir Didymus, in the hopes that if Jareth did chance to look up at were she and her friends were perched on the roof he'd not think they'd been the ones spying. As the seconds ticked passed, peace, serenity and awe filled Sarah once again as she watched the Labyrinth in the early dawn. Sarah didn't look in Jareth's direction again, at least not until he suddenly sat down with a clatter of armored legs beside her in all his bare chested, sweaty glory. Startling Sarah so badly that Jareth had to catch hold of her arm as she nearly pitched forward off the roof in a scramble to get up. He pulled her back down next to himself on the roof and beside her friends. She nodded to her friends' inquiries, confirming that she was okay before ripping into Jareth.

"Where in the freak did you come from!"

Jareth replied with a shrug, "I climbed up."

"Wha-"

"Goblin, remember... What are you doing here, Sarah?"

"We came to watch the sunrise over the Labyrinth," Sarah tried to appear nonchalant with a shrug of her own, "I've never watched it from this height before... It was beautiful, no, beyond that. The way the Labyrinth moves..." Jareth wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at her, leaving Sarah to thank any and all gods and goddesses she could think of that she wasn't blushing and was completely calm again as she kept her face relaxed and her gaze unerringly on the Labyrinth.

"Aren't you affected at all..." Jareth murmured from beside her which cause Hoggle to snort and Sir Didymus to try covering his smile with his paws.

"What?"

"I'm half naked woman!"

"What! Oh for the love of- Way to ruin the moment, Jareth! Hoggle, Didymus take me home! I'll make us breakfast, and you, Sir! You are not invited!" Sarah growled the last as she jabbed Jareth in the chest with a finger. Jareth leered at her most wickedly as his hand snapped up to grab her wrist and its offending finger only to catch nothing at all as Didymus popped himself, Sarah and Hoggle back to Sarah's studio.

Jareth sighed as his hand came up to rub where Sarah had poked him, vowing to the air, "I'll get you for that Didymus... Royal adviser or no, no one takes my prey from me."


	10. Chapter 10

Oh My Head

Toby was screaming and there was nothing Sarah could do to stop it. She held her head in her hands, fighting tears as she sat on the stairs. Her adorable antagonist for her father's affections, more commonly known as her brother, was running around crashing into things like a headless chicken. While screaming like his hair was on fire as he chased a one eyed fox around the house. Sarah had sat down on the stairs after running down them after Toby and her friend as she tried to stop them. Though in truth she'd slipped down the last few and was still trying to recover. How her brother and Ditymus hadn't managed to kill themselves yet was beyond her. The other pirk to sitting on the stairs was that the two little, lovable idiots couldn't get past her to run the whole of both levels of the house. Though they had tried a few times to get passed her.

Sarah doubted that Sir Ditymus was playing. He still seemed to have some presence of mind though he was now a "naked" wild fox running around on all fours. Sarah was slightly suspicious as to why her old friend was so panicked. Logically, any animal being chased by a banshee of a toddler, screaming "pur-le focs," while throwing themselves and anything in there path around at high speeds, would be in a frenzy to get way. Yet anytime Ditymus caught site of his own reflection he'd seem to get a new bout of adrenaline and would wail like he'd been struck a deathly blow. His once beautiful brass and copper fur was now a headache inducing tone of neon purple. It hurt Sarah's head just to look at him. As they pair hurtled around the corner into the kitchen, Sarah finally gave up the fight and made her first wish since she ran the Labyrinth for her brother some years ago.

"I wish Jareth was here, _right now_."

"Dear Goddesses Above and Below! What is that racket-"

"Jareth, please, _please_ make it stop!"

Jareth stared at her in disbelief. Of all the things and situations he'd have liked for her to use such a pleading tone this was not the instance he'd have liked. With a flick of his wrist, silence pushed its way back into the house so quickly that the sudden lack of sound left Sarah blinking up at him. Jareth smiled down at her slightly amused, from where he stood leaning on the stair banister.

"Are you alright, Sarah dearest?"

"I slipped on the stairs and hit my head. Are Toby and Sir Ditymus okay?"

"That purple thing was Ditymus?" Jareth asked as he reached out and traced a line with a gloved fingertip from the center of her forehead to the nape of her neck. She winced as his finger ran down the back of her head.

"Yes. He appeared out of no where in the living room, chittering like he thought he could talk and trying to stand on his hind legs like he'd never walked on four before... Though he learned quick enough. He only lost his famous reserve and decorum when he saw his purple self in the hall mirror from the living room archway. What did you do?"

"Suspended time around the boy and the fox, repaired all the damage they'd cause, along with a series of healing spells on yourself. You had a concussion by the way. We best go get them separated before I unfreeze them… I'll bet you a date that if Toby is within sight of the newly purple fox they'll be running and screaming out of control again in the space of a heartbeat."

"No. We're going to stop them not get them riled up again so why bother with betting… Does Ditymus know magic? He usually uses a mirror to visit me, he's never just appeared like that before."

"He was my teacher in my youth, though I have far surpassed him. Common courtesy, and the wish to keep one's body intact say you never 'just appear' in someone's living room."

Sarah lead the way to where she thought she'd hear the duo last, completely missing the slight put off look that crossed Jareth's face when she'd shot down his baiting her into a date.


	11. Chapter 11

Unbelievable

"You despicable man-"

"Male. I am not human and therefore cannot be a _man_..."

"How could you do that to Ditymus! And you acted as if you'd no idea!"

"You'd hit your head, love. I couldn't have you getting excited and hurting yourself further-"

"Liar!"

"Sarah!"

"No! Why on Earth did you turn him purple? He said a summons came in the form of a crystal but when he touched it, the crystal changed him instead of taking him to your throne room. Why would you revert him back to an Above fox yet you let him keep his mind? You could have given him a heart attack. He's old dang it! Jareth don't spring tricks like that on him out of no where!"

"My only mistake was not sealing his magic too."

"Jareth!"

"He is one of my subjects, Sarah. How I punish my subject for insubordination is none of your concern."

"Insubordination! What in the heck could a fox a fourth your size have done!"

"...That is none of your concern."

"Jareth…"

"Don't sigh like that, precious. You sound like my mother… Shall we have our lesson?"

"Why yes, your majesty, let us have our lesson."

"Must you continually wound me with your sarcasm."

"I'm sorry, do past wounds still pain you?"

"Even greater was the pain of your rejection, I will never get over that."

"You're unbelievable… I'm tired of learning etiquette and protocol. Can we go over history again?"

"You are progressing well with both Fae and Goblin etiquette, I had planned to go over Elven today."

"Gwenhwyfar and Mahthildis have been teaching me Elven and Nymph etiquette."

"You still meet with them?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"... Have they said anything more about my supposed courting of you?"

"Not really, no… Actually nothing beyond when we first met and that was weeks ago. Why?"

"No reason…"

"Whatever, Jareth. So can we go beyond the basics of history and go in depth to the Black Cluck Rebellion?"

"That's Black Luck Rebellion."

"Really? Some of the goblins told me it was the 'Black Cluck Rebellion.'"

"That would have been some of the lesser goblins then. I wouldn't take their word on anything, Sarah. They mean well but they get easily excited and confused."

"You and I both know you're only making excuses because your grandfather won a rebellion with a bunch a' black chickens?"

"You, my dear, will never repeat that in my presence again."

"You do realize that for every history lesson you've given me, I've gone and gotten your subjects view of the same event, right? Ditymus gives me an unprejudiced view of both sides of a battle or war and the reasons why either side went into battle in the first place. Hoggle tells me the what it was like for the common folk in any event and your lesser goblins show me the humor in it all."

"Such a pity that forbidding you from doing something just ensures that you go out and do it…"

"I'm not that bad!"

"When I want you to do something all I have to do is tell you not to."

"I do not!"

"Sarah dear, do you really want me to list off examples?"

"...So history please."

"I think it best we continue with etiquette and protocol."

"Aww, come on. With Mahthildis and Gwenhwyfar teaching me as well I think I've learned enough to not make a fool of myself or my teachers at the ball-"

"Ball?"

"I got an invitation to some dude's ball, Gwenhwyfar and Mahthildis were so happy that I was going too, they started teaching me double time to get me ready for Iain's-"

"Iain! The Seelie High King?"

"Yeah, I got an invitation to his end of summer ball a few days ago."

"How was it address?"

"What?"

"How was it addressed? What titles did he use? What names!"

"Woah, calm down-"

"Sarah-"

"I don't remember off the top of my head, the invite is on my desk-"

With a quick wave of his hand, the invitation was in his hand, "to Sarah Williams, Conqueror of the Labyrinth, Dwarf Haggler, Rock Caller Friend, Bridge Destroyer, Goblin City Invader, Goblin Castle Demolisher and Honorary Goblin…I didn't know you went by such titles Sarah-"

"I don't, I looked them over but didn't see implications in the placement and names, as you taught me there could be, so I ignored them and got on with reading the rest of it…"

"Indeed…"

"Jareth, what's going on?"

"Did you accept this invitation?"

"With all the lessons I've had, we both know what not accepting would have meant for a human that really only has 'Conqueror of the Labyrinth' going for her and nothing else."

"You forgot dumb luck, conqueror with a highly unhealthy dose of dumb luck."

"Unhealthy for other people maybe."

"Don't mutter, precious… I wouldn't mind seeing you demolish his palace."

"I'm sure you'd love that, Jareth, but I'd rather not create enemies for myself. Jareth, what is wrong with me accepting the invitation?"

"He's given no indication that he's any idea of the rumors going on in my kingdom about us, which is good, very good… We're going to change your lessons. This male is not to be trusted."

"For that to come from you is saying something-"

"Sarah, if he finds out that you and I are even friends, he'll do all in his power to turn you against me."

"Jareth, we started out as enemies, I seriously doubt there is anything he could do or say that could turn me against you after recovering from being enemies…"

"I love you."

"Your sarcasm doesn't have the same power, sorry. So what kind of lessons will I be getting now?"

"Self-defense, skills in the undertones and meanings of court language, along with love potion and other toxins identification. I'll have Ditymus start building your immunity."

"Seriously! Why- "

"Seriously."

"Jareth-"

"We've one month to get you ready for the prettier side of war. Continue your lessons with those elven ladies, keep your other lessons secret."

"But-"

"No arguments, lets go."

Jareth marched off down the hall leaving a confused Sarah in his wake with no choice but to follow the irate Goblin King, so follow she did.


End file.
